Plier type cap wrench with adjustable jaws



Oct. 29, 1957 J. w. ROBERTSON PLIER TYPE CAP WRENCH wm-x ADJUSTABLE JAWSFiled March 28, 1955 James W. Robertson INVENTOR.

9 BY aim WWII} MAW United States Patent PLIER TYPE CAP WRENCH WITHADJUSTABLE JAWS James W. Robertson, Burlington, N. C.

Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 496,990

1 Claim. (Cl. 813.44)

This invention relates to the class of tools and more particularly to anovel wrench for use in removing caps and closures from containers.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision ofa device which is capable of adjustment so as to be adapted for openingscrewed closures of various sizes.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means forresiliently holding the tool in its adjusted position thereby preventingaccidental disengagement of the serrated edges of the tool fro-m theclosure which is being removed.

The construction of this invention features the utilization of a capwrench including a connecting member having slots therein to which onearm is pivotally attached and another arm is adjustably secured by meansof a pin engageable in one of the slots. A spring pressed plunger iscarried by the arm adjustably mounted on the connecting member in suchmanner as to hold the pin within its selected slot.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a cap Wrench that is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, and highly efiicient in use.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by this cap wrench, a preferred embodiment ofwhich has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way ofexample only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cap wrench comprising the presentinvention shown in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the cap wrench with parts thereof beingshown in section for detail;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view as taken along the planeof line 33 in Figure 2 and illustrating the construction of the plungerand recess in which it is mounted; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line44 in Figure 3 and illustrating the construction of the bifurcatedportion of the adjustable arm and illustrating the grooves in thefurcations of the bifurcated portions.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral generally designates the tool comprising the presentinvention which is adapted to be utilized in removing screw closuressuch as caps 12 from containers, such as a jar or bottle 14.

The tool 10 includes an arm 16 having a handle portion 18 and a serratedmedial portion 20 forming teeth for gripping the closure 12. The end 22of the arm 16 is bifurcated, and a pin 24 extends through thebifurcations and through an end of a central connecting member 26 topivot the arm 16 to the central connecting member 26. The centralconnecting member 26 may be arcuate in shape so as to, in connectionwith the arm 16 and the arm 28, embrace the cap 12. The centralconnecting member 26 has a plurality of spaced angulated slots 30therein in which a pin 32 extending between the furcations 34 and 36 ofthe bifurcated ends 38 of the arm 28 is adapted to extend. The pin 32,when engaged in one of the slots 30, forms a pivotal connection betweenthe connecting member 26 and the arm 28. A plunger 40 is mounted withingrooves 42 and 44 in the furcations 34 and 36 and is also engageablewithin the recess 46 formed in the arm 28 in alignment with the grooves42 and 44. Mounted in the recess 46 and resiliently yieldingly engagingthe end wall 48 of the recess and the plunger 40 is a coil spring 50which serves to press the plunger 40 outwardly and into engagement withthe connecting member 26 to thus force the connecting member to such aposition that the pin 32 is engaged and resiliently held in engagementin a selected one of the slots 30. The arm 28 has a medial portion whichis serrated, as at 52, to form gripping teeth also engageable inopposition to the gripping teeth 20 with the closure or cap 12.

The operation of this invention is quite simple. The arm 28 ispositioned so that the pin 32 is engageable within one of the slots 30corresponding to the diameter of the cap or closure 12 and then,grasping the two handle portions, including the handle portion 18 of thearm 16 and the handle portion 54 of the arm 28, the pressure appliedwill cause the gripping teeth 20 and 52 to grasp the closure so that theclosure may be rotated relative to the container, such as a bottle ,orjar to which the screw closure 12 is fastened.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A Wrench for removing screw closures comprising a pair of elongated armseach having a serrated closure gripping portion medial the ends thereof,a curved connecting member adapted to partially embrace a closure, oneof said pair of arms being pivoted to said connecting member, the otherof said arms having a bifurcated end receiving said connecting member,said connecting member having spaced locking slots therein, a pinextending between the furcations of said bifurcated end selectivelyreceivable in said slots, said pin having a longitudinal axis extendingbetween said furcations, said other arm having a recess therein, aspring in said recess, a plunger movably urged by said spring to engagesaid connecting member for holding said pin in a selected one of saidslots, said furcations having opposed grooves therein in alignment withsaid recess, said recess and said grooves having a common axis, saidplunger being slidable in said grooves, said longitudinal axis of saidpin intersecting said common axis of said recess and said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS284,933 Wilbur Sept. 11, 1883 1,182,567 Ipsen May 9, 1916 2,072,360Eaton Mar. 2, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 734,397 France Aug. 1, 1932

